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No Bank, no Mission
Under Article 25 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the receiving state shall accord full facilities for the performance of the functions of the mission. On this basis, states must offer each other the opportunity to fullfil all diplomatic functions according to Article 3 of the Convention. That includes the obligation to offer an adequate infrastructure for diplomatic missions.
Whether the United States of America is in violation of the Convention with respect to the necessity of a bank account has become an virulent issue. An investigation into practices of the major bank for diplomatic missions in Washington, Riggs Bank, forced embassies to close after the American government ordered Riggs to leave the diplomatic sector and other banks refused to enter it, despite the personal intervention of the Secretary of State. Today's Wall Street Journal at C1cites a number of practical issues--and the retaliatory threat against the United States to bar banks from providing banking services to American missions.
- by Markus Stoeterau, a lawyer currently in an internship with Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP in Washington.
Fri, / Embassy Law Link